Multi-tiered game board for three-dimensional tic-tac-toe games

ABSTRACT

A multi-tiered game board for three-dimensional games of tictac-toe and its derivatives is provided with an odd number of playing surfaces in parallel, vertically spaced relationship. Each surface is subdivided into playing squares in mutually orthogonal ranks and files with the surfaces above and below the central one having one rank and file less than the immediately adjacent surface in the direction of the central one. The several playing surfaces are centered on a common vertical axis and the vertices of any surface are parallel to the vertices of all other surfaces. Markers of two, or more, colors or patterns are used with the multi-tiered game board, each player being supplied with a quantity of markers of a given color. The game is played by placing markers on unoccupied squares of the playing surfaces to produce linear rows of the same color. A winning combination requires the alignment of as many markers in a row as there are files and rows in the central surface.

United States Patent 1 Harper [451 May 20, 1975 1 1 MULTI-TIERED GAMEBOARD FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL TIC-TAC-TOE GAMES [76] Inventor: James W.Harper, 227 Ave. H,

Redondo Beach, Calif. 90277 [22] Filed: Aug. 22, 1974 21 Appl. No.:499,570

[52] US. Cl 273/130 AC; 273/130 B [51] Int. Cl. A63f 3/00 [58] Field ofSearch... 273/130 AC, 130 B, 131 AC,

273/131 D, 136 C, 136 E [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,313,473 3/1943 Heacock et a1. 273/130 AC 2,880,001 3/1959 Rosenzweig273/130 AC X 3,767,201 10/1973 Harper et al. 273/131 AC D226,669 4/1973Culver et al 273/131 AC X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 667,737 3/1952United Kingdom 273/131 AC OTHER PUBLICATIONS Spherical Chess, PopularMechanics, August 1972, Page 110.

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkharn Assistant Examiner-Harry G.Strappello Attorney, Agent, or Firm Bo.niard I. Brown [57] ABSTRACT Amulti-tiered game board for three-dimensional games of tic-tac-toe andits derivatives is provided with an odd number of playing surfaces inparallel, vertically spaced relationship. Each surface is subdividedinto playing squares in mutually orthogonal ranks and files with thesurfaces above and below the central one having onerank and file lessthan the immediately adjacent surface in the direction of the cen tralone. The several playing surfaces are centered on a common vertical axisand the vertices of any surface are parallel to the vertices of allother surfaces. Markers of two, or more, colors or patterns are usedwiththe multi-tiered game board, each player being supplied with a quantityof markers of a given color. The game is played by placing markers onunoccupied squares of the playing surfaces to produce linear rows of thesame color. A winning combination requires the alignment of as manymarkers in a row as there are files and rows in the central surface.

10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures MULTI-TIERED GAME BOARD FORTHREE-DIMENSIONAL TIC-TAC-TOE GAMES BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates generally to games of strategy played between two ormore opponents. It relates, more particularly, to a multi-tiered gameboard for the playing of modified tic-tac-toe games.

The well-known game of tic-tac-toe is generally played on aone-dimensional surface divided into nine playing squares in athree-by-three configuration. Players are permitted to place one markereach, in alternating moves, on the surface until one has succeeded incompleting a linear array of three markers, representing a winningcombination.

Three-dimensional forms of the game have been proposed and a game devicefor the playing of such a game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,313,473.The devices of the prior art superimpose conventional tic-tac-toesurfaces on one another, or provide alternate forms in which a number ofsimilar surfaces are superimposed.

Game boards of such construction admit of a very large number ofpossible winning combinations and do not provide for a game of greaterinterest than onedimensional tic-tac-toe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides for an improvedgame board in which the superimposed playing surfaces are not of thesame size but rather diminish in extent by one rank and one file insuccessive tiers above and below a central playing surface. Each playingsurface is subdivided into squares, is centered on the same verticalaxis as the other surfaces, and its vertices are aligned with these ofthe adjoining board.

The central, and largest, playing surface may be subdivided into ninesquares, as in one-dimensional tic-tac toe, or it may be larger, as longas the number of ranks and files remain equal. With at least one playingsurface above the central one and another below it, winning arrays ofthree or more markers are possible in the central surface and indiagonal lines passing through squares in the three playing surfaces.

More than three surfaces may be provided, their number is limited onlyby the dimensions of the central surface and by the requirement that theoutermost surfaces contain at least one playing square. Thus a gameboard with a three-by-three central surface is limited to five tiers,and one with a four-by-four central surface to seven tiers.

The rules of the game played on the board of the invention are modifiedto permit more than two players to participate, and to allow fordifferential valuations of scoring combinations where arrays longer thanthree markers are possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS The preferred embodimentof the invention is described below with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game board of the invention with acentral playing surface subdivided into nine squares;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section, taken along section line 22, of theembodiment of FIG. 1;

LII

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of typical markers for the game;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are schematic, perspective views of markers placed inrepresentative scoring combinations on the game board of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention with five tiers and acentral playing surface divided into sixteen squares;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of markers differentiated by shape andcolor;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of an alternatesupport structure for afive-tiered game board;

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of a seventiered game board with25 squares in a central playing surface; and

FIG. 11 is an alternate embodiment of a typical playing surface, shownin partial perspective view, using colored marbles as markers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A multi-tiered game board of theinvention is shown in the perspective view of FIG. 1, supported on abase 10 and a column 12. A central playing surface, constructed from arigid, transparent plastic sheet, is subdivided into nine squares 17 bysaw kerfs 15.

Playing surfaces 16a and 16b, each of four squares, adjoin the centralsurface 14 at levels spaced above and below the latter by spacer sleeves19 and 19a, respectively. Playing surfaces 18a and 18b, comprising asingle square each, are at the top and bottom tiers of the assembly andare separated by spacers 19 from the surfaces 16.

Screws 11 and 13 are threaded into spacer 19a which is tapped at eitherend. The screw 11 passes first through the base 10 and the surface 18b,and then through a spacer 19 and surface 16b, before entering the spacer19a. The screw 13 similarly retains surface 18a, a spacer 19, surface16a, another spacer 19, and the central playing surface 14, insuccession, before engaging the spacer l9a from above. The structure isshown in detail in the transverse section of FIG. 2, taken along section22 of FIG. 1.

The perspective view of FIG. 3 shows two markers 30 and 32, withpatterns representing a cross and a nought engraved on themrespectively. Such markers may be used by two players in a game ofthree-dimensional tictac-toe on the board of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate some of the possible scoring arrays of aparticular player on the board of FIG. 1, using markers 30 in theillustrations.

In FIG. 4 a diagonal array moves from the topmost surface 18a, throughsurface 16a, to the central playing surface 14.

In FIG. 5 a similar combination is shown on a diagonal line passingthrough surfaces 14, 16b and 18b. The winning combination of FIG. 6 usesthe surfaces 16 and the central surface 14.

In addition to the above combinations a player may score by placingthree markers along any of the ranks or files of the central surface 14,on a diagonal of the surface 14, or on a vertical column interconnectingthe single squares of the surfaces 18 with the mediam square of thesurface 14.

The perspective view of FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the inventionin which a central surface 74 is subdivided into sixteen squares, infour ranks and four files, and in which the support column 12 holds fouradditional playing surfaces 76a, 76b, 78a and 78b. The surfaces 76 aredivided into nine squares each and the surfaces 78 into four.

In this five-tiered board linear combinations of markers extending overfour spaces are possible, both in the central surface 74 and in diagonallines extending over four of the five tiers.

With the larger number of possible winning combinations, permitted bythe arrangement of the playing board of FIG. 7, the number of playersparticipating in the game may be increased to four as opposed to two forthe embodiment of FIG. 1. It is also possible to modify the rules byallowing combinations extending over only three markers to be countedtoward a final score and to continue the game beyond achieving the firstlinear array of four markers. For example, a score of five points may beassigned to a player for a fourmarker array and a score of three pointsfor a threemarker one. The game can continue until all possible arraysare completed, or until all the squares in the game board have beenoccupied by markers.

For games admitting of more than two players, markers may bedistinguished by color and/or shape, as shown in FIG. 8. Markers 34 and36 are similar in shape but contrasting in color, while marker 38 may bedistinguished from marker 34 by its square base, as opposed to the roundone of the latter.

In the alternative construction of FIG. 9 a base 90 supports a lowermostplaying surface 48b, while four other playing surfaces, 48a, 46a, 44 and46b, are mounted on arms 98 of a support column 92. The column 92 isattached rigidly to the base 90 and its arms 98 extend laterally, atequal vertical spacings, under the several playing surfaces.

The schematic, perspective view of FIG. shows a seven-tiered playingboard whose central playing surface 104 is subdivided into 25 squares ina five-by-five array. As many as six contestants may play on this board,using markers differentiated by color or shape, and attempt to achievelinear arrays up to five markers in length. A typical scoring evaluationmay assign three points to a three-marker row, five to a four-marker oneand ten to a five-marker array.

In the partial perspective view of FIG. 11 a playing surface 114 isshown with holes 117 passing through the centers of the squares 17defined by lines 115 in its face. The surface 114 is specificallyadapted for game pieces 40 which are essentially colored marbles. Themarbles 40 are larger in diameter than the holes 117 and seat in thelatter upon placement by a player.

What'is claimed is:

1. A multi-tiered game board structure for threedimensional tic-tac-toegames, comprising:

an odd number of playing surfaces mounted one over 5 the other, with thesurfaces located at vertically spaced levels, and including a centralsurface at the center level and equal numbers of upper and lowersurfaces at levels above and below said central surface; each surfacehaving a playing area defining playing squares arranged in mutuallyperpendicular rank and file rows containing equal numbers of squares;

said central surface having at least three rank and at least three filerows, and each upper and lower surface having one less rank and file rowthan the surface immediately adjacent in the direction of the centralsurface; and

said surface being disposed on a common, substantially vertical, axispassing through the centers of the several playing surfaces and with therank and file rows of each playing surface in parallel alignment withthe rank and file rows of all other playing surfaces.

2. The game board defined in claim 1, wherein there are at least twoupper playing surfaces and two lower playing surfaces.

3. The game board defined in claim 1, wherein there are three upperplaying surfaces and three lower playing surfaces.

4. The game board defined in claim 1, wherein said playing surfaces aretransparent.

5. The game board defined in claim 2, wherein said central playingsurface has four file rows and four rank rows.

6. The game board defined in claim 2, wherein said central playingsurface has five file rows and five rank rows.

7. The game board defined in claim 1, further comprising at least twosets of game markers, each set including a plurality of markers equal innumber to onehalf of the total number of playing squares in said gameboard.

8. The game board defined in claim 7, wherein said sets of markers areof contrasting color.

9. The game board defined in claim 7, wherein said sets of markers areof differing shapes.

10. The game board defined in claim 7, wherein each of said playingsquares is pierced by a circular orifice and said markers are ofspherical shape.

1. A multi-tiered game board structure for three-dimensional tic-tac-toegames, comprising: an odd number of playing surfaces mounted one overthe other, with the surfaces located at vertically spaced levels, andincluding a central surface at the center level and equal numbers ofupper and lower surfaces at levels above and below said central surface;each surface having a playing area defining playing squares arranged inmutually perpendicular rank and file rows containing equal numbers ofsquares; said central surface having at least three rank and at leastthree file rows, and each upper and lower surface having one less rankand file row than the surface immediately adjacent in the direction ofthe central surface; and said surface being disposed on a common,substantially vertical, axis passing through the centers of the severalplaying surfaces and with the rank and file rows of each playing surfacein parallel alignment with the rank and file rows of all other playingsurfaces.
 2. The game board defined in claim 1, wherein there are atleast two upper playing surfaces and two lower playing surfaces.
 3. Thegame board defined in claim 1, wherein there are three upper playingsurfaces and three lower playing surfaces.
 4. The game board defined inclaim 1, wherein said playing surfaces are transparent.
 5. The gameboard defined in claim 2, wherein said central playing surface has fourfile rows and four rank rows.
 6. The game board defined in claim 2,wherein said central playing surface has five file rows and five rankrows.
 7. The game board defined in claim 1, further comprising at leasttwo sets of game markers, each set including a plurality of markersequal in number to one-half of the total number of playing squares insaid game board.
 8. The game board defined in claim 7, wherein said setsof markers are of contrasting color.
 9. The game board defined in claim7, wherein said sets of markers are of differing shapes.
 10. The gameboard defined in claim 7, wherein each of said playing squares ispierced by a circular orifice and said markers are of spherical shape.